Eagle Nest

Along the Enchanted Circle in neighboring Colfax County is the laid back mountain town of Eagle Nest.

The small village — with a long history of gunslingers and gold mines — is now a popular destination for outdoor fun and adventure.

The area is home to elk, deer and golden eagle — for which the lake is named.  In winter, visitors can hike, ski, snowshoe and ice fish. Eagle Nest Lake is regularly stocked with trout and salmon, and the village hosts an ice fishing tournament with cash and door prizes in January.

Courtesy photo Greg Hoch caught a 19.5 inch rainbow trout, along with many perch, using worms at Eagle Nest Lake.

For the cold hardy, the town hosts an annual Polar Bear Plunge at the lake on New Year’s Day. The main drag offers hotels, restaurants and gift shops and a microbrewery with seeping alpine views — Comanche Creek Brewing Company. 

J.R. Logan/Sangre de Cristo Chronicle Marine enforcement officer Mark Sullivan bores a hole through the ice at the north end of Eagle Nest Lake Tuesday (Jan. 12). Sullivan makes daily measurements of the ice thickness to ensure that it is safe for ice fishermen.

Adventurers can visit nearby Lower Eagle Nest Lake Trail and Cimarron Canyon State Park for spectacular winter landscapes.

Eagle Nest Visitor Center & Gateway Museum
505-721-0704
visiteaglenest.org